Monopoly Culture and Academic Freedom
“I’ve been kicked out of some of the best universities in the U.S,” declares Michael Parenti. He recounts how his political activism cost him jobs in Vermont and Illinois. Among the charges leveled against him were, “bad for the image of the university;” “anti-business attitudes;” and “unprofessional conduct” for refusing to pledge allegiance to the flag at a Rotary Club event off campus. Parenti describes how the academy has become increasingly corporatized and is run by boards of trustees who are unaccountable.Universities and colleges give “lip service to certain ideals” Parenti says, but they are “riddled with class and ideological biases.” This is a spirited and energetic talk. Vintage Parenti.
Recorded at the University of Vermont.
Speaker
Michael Parenti
Michael Parenti was a leading independent political analyst, scholar, and author. Cornel West called him “a towering prophetic voice.” He taught at major colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. He is the author of numerous books, including Democracy for the Few, Power and the Powerless, and Against Empire. He passed away on January 24, 2026, at the age of 92.
Questioning the Unquestionable
“It is not demanded of readers that they embrace my views, but that they reflect upon their own. How seldom we bother to explore in some critical fashion the fundamental preconceptions that shape our understanding of social and political life. How frequently, as if by reflex rather than reflection, we respond to certain cues and incantations, resisting any incongruous notion. Our opinions shelter and support us; it is an excruciating effort to submit them to reappraisal. Yet if we are to maintain some pretense at being rational creatures, we must risk the discomfiture that comes with questioning the unquestionable, and try to transcend our tendencies toward mental confinement.” – Michael Parenti
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